Where Is the Mississippi River?

Where is/are...?

by Dina Anastasio

Discover the history and culture of one of the most famous waterways in the the mighty Mississippi!

The most famous river in America runs like a spine between the eastern and western parts of the country, flowing through ten states before it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The mighty Miss also flows through the history of America, giving rise to great stories about the people who lived on it and used it as a watery highway, from Native Americans and European explorers to skillful riverboat captains and colorful gamblers traveling on luxurious steamboats. And of course it was the first truly American writer, Mark Twain, who grew up along its banks and made the Mississippi River famous around the world.

This book, part of the  New York Times  best-selling series, is enhanced by eighty illustrations and a detachable fold-out map complete with four photographs on the back.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Geography, Childrens

112 pages, Library Binding

Published September 12, 2017

About the author

Dina Anastasio grew up and lives in New York City. She lived in West Cork, Ireland, for many years. She is a freelance writer and past editor of Sesame Street Magazine (four years). She is a mother of two with three grandchildren.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this review and more on my blog.The Book Return Blog
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Mississippi is the longest river in North America. It rises at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and flows almost due south emptying into the Gulf of Mexico, southeast of New Orléans. This is a distance of over 2,300 miles. The Mississippi River's major tributaries are the Missouri and Ohio rivers.

Many authors including Mark Twain, William Faulkner, and Kate Chopin were inspired by the mighty Mississippi.
 

The name Mississippi comes from the Anishinaabe word 'Misi-ziibi' which means 'great river'.
The River flows at between 1.2 to 3 miles per hour.
The Civil War Battle of Vicksburg was fought over control of the Mississippi River and was a major turning point in the war.
At its widest point the river is over 7 miles wide.
At its deepest spot the river is over 200 feet deep.
It takes 90 days for a drop of water to travel the entire length of the river.

I love books that not only teach a lesson but also entertain.

The Mississippi River is one of the most important natural features of the United States. Transportation along the mighty Mississippi led to not only early exploration of the continental US but it served as the most vital mode of trade for the young colonies and later the US.

Although I knew some information about the Mississippi river, I learned so many interesting things about the river by reading,' Where is the Mississippi River.'  A couple of these things that I learned are where the name Mississippi came from and how control of the river was a major factor in the outcome of the civil war. I also learned a lot about the river's lock system works.

I particularly loved the information about Mark Twain. I am currently reading 'Tom Sawyer,' and the background on Mark Twain's (Samuel Clemons) love for the river tied in perfectly.

An important chapter is the one that describes the great flood 1927. This is a great learning tool for understanding that although the river is beautiful and amazing, it can also be deadly and destructive. Man has tried to tame the river but ultimately we are at its mercy.
 

The 'Where is...' series is just wonderful and so much fun. They are great tie-ins for American geography lessons. I can't wait to read the rest of this wonderful series.
 
This review was originally posted on The Book return...

[T'Shura Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a good summary of the history of the Mississippi River. It is a good start for learning about the region and its history.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where Is the Mississippi River by Dina Anastasio describes the longest river in North America. The author provides the history of how the river started at the end of the last Ice Age when melting glaciers cut huge groves creating the Great Lakes and runoff carved various rivers as the melting ice searched for pathways to oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. The longest started in Minnesota and ended in the Gulf and became the Mighty Mississippi. The author includes plenty of interesting facts and stories related to the Mississippi.

[Amanda up North · Rating 4 out of 5]

My home river, I lived my first eighteen years on the Mississippi at its northernmost meanderings.
This Where Is? installment offers a wide range of information on the Mississippi's history, discovery, and use by native Americans, explorers, and settlers. It dedicates almost an entire chapter to Mark Twain. It covers historic floods, tributaries, other major rivers, the addition of locks, dams, spillways and more.
My favorite thing was learning about Martin Strel, the man who swam the Mississippi (and the Danube, the Yangtze, and the Amazon!)
Very informative.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty technical book about the Mississippi river and the types of boats that used it to transport goods and people. I learned some new things- like Mark Twain’s real name and the great flood of 1927!

[Vani Ghanate · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read to know the role this river has played in building the country to what it is today. Felt that references to Mark Twain and other anecdotes were a stretch!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book to my children. It was interesting. My kids like the chapter on Mark Twain the best.

[Renie Pemberton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as other books in the series.

[Emma McKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was good i thing that if we can find a way to solve pollution then a ton of landmarks will be around for a long time more then if we don't fix pollution

[Samantha Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with lots of great information about the Mississippi and the US.

[Elisabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s for little kids, right? 😂

[Gideon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mississippi river is in the middle of the USA, as you may know. It stretches 2,350 miles and someone was able to swim it in 68 days!

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the world of the Mississippi. The history, the environmental impacts and the geological all come into play to show the power of the river. There is even a chapter on Mark Twain. Drawings and "side bars/pages" add to the information.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read this book! I like these books that look at different things from a variety of angles. And I've always loved the Mississippi River, so it was fun to read about.

5/1/2024 I raised this book from 3 stars to 4 stars because I thought it was a really great book and had good perspective about the Mississippi River (which I love.)

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last third was the best.